Help your church to be inspired afresh by the Bible
The E100 Bible Reading Challenge is an initiative to encourage more individuals and
churches to become inspired to meet God every day through the Bible – not just for
the period of the challenge but beyond.
The challenge is based around 100 carefully selected Bible readings (50 from the Old Testament and
50 from the New Testament) designed to give participants a good understanding of the overall Bible
story from Genesis to Revelation. The ‘E’ stands for Essential
and each of the Essential 100 readings ranges from a few
verses to a few chapters.

To find out more visit:

www.e100challenge.org.uk
The E100 challenge is an initiative of The Bible Societies and Scripture Union
movements of Britain and Ireland, along with Wycliffe Bible Translators.

ust being told by experts that the
recession is over doesn't make us
feel better. The nation is still gripped
with uncertainty due to inflation,
joblessness and painful belttightening both at home and in the
government.
After six and a half years, this is my last
issue as editor of idea. I've enjoyed all 39 of
the issues I've worked on, and I look forward
to working with the new editor next month
with my 40th. This is due to a restructuring
at the Alliance, and I don't have a clue what
I'll do next. But I know I'm not alone in this
predicament. I also know that the central
theme of this issue is no accident.
The Biblefresh initiative runs through
2011 and kicks off here with a photo gallery
(p19) of people showing how the Bible has
changed their lives. This concludes with
an essay (p24) on how Scripture
is relevant to a society that thinks
it's obsolete.
And this transformative focus
continues in reports on forgiveness in
Rwanda (p16) and biblical-themed stories
on film (p28) and television (p30). Plus,
returning to my original topic, there’s a
look at how to be generous during a
recession (p26).
To be honest, I'm not the kind of person
who turns to the Bible in times of trouble.
I grew up in a strong Christian home and
have studied God's Word my whole life.
It is engraved on my heart, guiding every
decision I make. I don't have to turn to it
because it's always with me,
the voice of God speaking to me every day.
So in the light of an uncertain future,
if I was making a sign to hold up in front
of me for one of these Biblefresh photos,
this is what I'd write: “Now
I know I don't need to panic.”

your voice
To God be the glory
In reference to the article How to Help
People Along Their Faith Journeys
(Sep/Oct), surely evangelicals have always
realised that, however sudden someone’s
conversion may seem to be (like Paul on
the Damascus Road), there will also have
been some preparation (Paul witnessing
the martyrdom of Stephen).
I feel concerned that too much
emphasis on “journeys”, could lead to a
drift away from justification by faith, and
into justification by journey time travelled
("God will surely accept me now I've
been travelling so long"). This ends up
eventually as justification by works.
Arthur Robinson, Liverpool

who are not so obsessed. In fact, there are
a lot of people who, for many reasons, feel
that the way in which the game is treated
as a religion needs to be addressed with
some urgency.
Laura Hicks, Weymouth

Don’t chicken out
In your article How to Engage with a
Secular Society (Jul/Aug), two sides of the
coin were offered – one being views of
Lord Carey, Andrea Minichello Williams
and articles in The Mail on Sunday and The
Daily Telegraph, the other being those of
Steve Holmes and Trevor Cooling.
But in the light of the high-profile
cases mentioned in the article, which I
agree are a minority, it seems like the

What it’s all about
I was outraged by the proposed actions
planned by Christians in America as a
reaction to the presence of a Muslim place
of worship and study near Ground Zero.
I am a member of Welton Baptist
Church near Bath where I have been
worshipping for the last 11 years. I am
originally from France and have spent a
few years working in Lebanon and Syria.
The bottom line for me (and hopefully
for most evangelical Christians) is Jesus’
teaching and our ultimate authority for
the conduct of a Christian life, the New
Testament. “Bless and do not curse” is the
exhortation in Romans 12. In simple
words, blessing is the genuine face of
Christianity, doing the opposite is not
getting what it is all about.
Jean-Philippe Petit, Somerset

recommendation is that Christians should
resign, accept dismissal or chicken out.
Historically Britain was the greatest
sending nation with the Gospel, and much
of what we now tolerate would not be
countenanced in some African countries
where Christians believe the Bible is the
Word of God.
Derek Cooper, Hampshire

The not-so-beautiful game

A courageous stand

I appreciate that you felt it important to
report what churches were doing to relate
to the football-obsessed millions this past
summer (A Sporting Chance, Jul/Aug). But
when I received the issue I was horrified to
find that you had made it the cover story.
There are also millions in this country

Your article on engaging with a secular
society discusses two different approaches.
Interestingly, they both refer to society’s
ignorance of Christian truth and the need
for us to speak up about our faith.
One urges us to “speak up now” to
prevent further decay in society and the

other to “shut up” about defending our
rights and to “speak up about serving
others”. Although the article concludes
with an attempt to bring the two together,
its overall tone is against the first approach
because, in the words of Steve Holmes,
“You would look hard to find a profession
where you couldn’t work as a Christian.”
But deeper consideration suggests that
Western society is moving radically from a
Judaeo-Christian ethical framework to one
based on individual human rights rather
than on what is good for society. We now
have the notion of hate crime, defined by
the perception of the victim. Disturbingly,
the burden of proof has effectively shifted
from the accuser to the accused (see the
Equality Act [2006], 66[5]).
No doubt people such as Lord Carey
and Andrea Minichello Williams sometimes
get things wrong, but I would hope
that the Alliance would support their
courageous stand as Christians in society.
Dermot O’Callaghan, Hillsborough

New opportunities
You've regularly covered new media in
idea, and the Alliance has an active web
presence. But did you know that in
August, the 5-billionth digital device
was connected to the internet?
Digital media are changing our world
forever, and the majority of mobile phone
and computer users live outside the West.
This offers growing opportunities for
outreach and discipleship.
Here at Internet Evangelism Day, a
year-round advocate ministry for digital
outreach, we know that digital media are
already playing a huge role in fulfilling the
Great Commission. We concur with
Operation Mobilisation founder George
Verwer’s statement: “The internet is one of
the most key tools that God has given us in
the church today. Internet evangelism is a
dynamic, effective, cutting-edge ministry.”
I'd like to encourage Alliance members
to join our network to equip and enhance
digital ministry, especially in the nonWestern world: ieday.net/guide
Tony Whittaker, Derby

idea is published bimonthly and sent free of charge to members of the Evangelical Alliance. Formed in 1846,
the Alliance’s mission is to unite evangelicals to present Christ credibly as good news for spiritual and social
transformation. There are around 2 million evangelical Christians in the UK, according to a 2007 Tearfund survey.
idea is published in accordance with the Alliance’s Basis of Faith, although it is impossible in every article to articulate
each detail and nuance of belief held by Alliance members. Articles in idea may therefore express views on which there
is a divergence of opinion or understanding among evangelicals.
Letters and story ideas from members are welcome, and will be considered by the editorial board, which reserves
the right to edit letters and stories for length and style. We regret that we are unable to engage in personal
correspondence. Unsolicited material will only be returned if accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope.
idea accepts advertisements and inserts to offset printing costs. Advertising in idea does not imply editorial
endorsement. The Alliance reserves the right to accept or refuse advertisements at its discretion. Articles may be
reproduced only with permission from the editor.

news

Christians respond to ﬂooding
In the wake of September's devastating
floods in Pakistan and India, Christian
agencies are reaching out with assistance
and calling for action to help victims. “It’s
no surprise that people are fed up hearing
about war, strife and disasters in Pakistan,”
said Ram Gidoomal CBE. “But that doesn’t
necessarily mean that’s the sum total of my
native country, and it also doesn’t mean that
the suffering of 20 million Pakistani people
isn’t any more or less important than those
of other nationalities.”
Gidoomal is the founder of the Alliance's
South Asian Forum, a network set up to
support and represent Christians from the
sub-continent living in Britain. The forum
is drawing attention to the fact that the
flooding in Pakistan has affected more people
than the Indian Ocean tsunami, the Kashmir
floods and the Haiti earthquake combined,
but has received less rally to action.
Gidoomal is calling on Christians of all
nationalities across Britain to join a campaign
to cancel Pakistan’s international debt,
enabling the country to recover more quickly
from its spate of disasters. The campaign is
being organised online at: avaaz.org

In brief...

6 • idea nov/dec 2010

Meanwhile, Christian doctors in the UK
raised more than £25,000 in one week to
supply food, clothing and medical care
to people displaced by the Pakistan floods.
The Christian Medical Fellowship, which
organised the appeal, sent the money to
two Christian hospitals in badly affected
rural areas.
One of these, Pennell Memorial Christian
Hospital in Bannu, on the Afghanistan
border, is providing food and medical care
for Christian and Hindu families in a nearby
camp for displaced people. “Many nongovernmental organisations are afraid to
work in these areas,” said Dr Nadeem
Hidayat. “Due to security issues, it's difficult
for me to leave the hospital, so I am visiting
flood victims with a van full of army guards.”
In Uttar Pradesh, northern India,
Christian Aid is working to help one
million people who have had their villages
submerged by severe flooding (pictured).
Projects to rebuild communities continue in
both Pakistan and India, with involvement
by many Christian agencies working through
the Disasters Emergency Committee.
dec.org.uk

CHILDREN ON THE AGENDA. In a
statement issued at the end of August's
week-long All African Bishops’
Conference, the bishops made a
declaration that children are the
“embodiment of the future” and
committed the Church to seeking to
unlock their inherent potential. The
statement was partly in response to input
from Alliance member Viva, who alerted
bishops to the suffering of children in
Africa due to poverty, war and natural
disasters. Viva, which aims to reach out
to vulnerable children, will be working
with the Anglican Church in Africa to
help live up to this declaration. viva.org

When Soul Survivor launched its first Bible
in a Year in September, 10,000 copies sold
out instantly. The daily readings (Old
Testament, New Testament and a Psalm)
are backed up by explanatory blogs and
videos online from Mike Pilavachi, Andy
Croft and Ali Martin.
Unlike other year-long Bible readings,
this one starts at the beginning of the
academic year and aims to encourage
young people to get into the Bible.
“A third of the people who went to
Soul Survivor are reading it,” said Ian
Metcalfe of the publisher Hodder &
Stoughton. “That's 10,000 young people
committed to trying to read the Bible. It’s
tremendously exciting, and I hope it will
make a big difference in their faith and
grounding in the Bible.”
The daily Bible reading's popularity
was confirmed instantly when 128 young
people posted their reactions online by
9.30am on 1 September, the first day of
the scheme. If the initiative proves to be a
success, it will run annually, said Metcalfe.
Bible in a Year can be purchased from:
hodderfaith.com/books, and the daily
blogs and videos can be seen at:
thebibleinoneyear.wordpress.com

UK CHURCH IS GROWING. After years
of slow decline, the Church in the UK is
showing signs of growth, according to
Christian Research's recent publication
Religious Trends. For almost a decade,
the Church of England has seen steady
attendance, while the Baptist Union
is growing. And these statistics don't
include new movements such as Fresh
Expressions, notes Christian Research's
Benita Hewitt. In addition, the research
shows that the number of children and
young people had risen significantly.
Ongoing data is still being collected
from hundreds of other denominations.
christian-research.org

Sara O’Connor

Christian Aid

Interacting with young people

BREAKING THE CHAINS. Freedom
Cambodia, a partner project of Alliance
member Life For The World Trust is working
with churches in Phnom Penh and other
ministries to launch Cambodia's first
Christian addictions conference. This has
involved training hundreds of workers and
volunteers and setting up a drop-in centre
for young people who are not only poor
but also abusing drugs and solvents. The
Breaking the Chains conference in November
will help pastors and church leaders learn
how to help families affected by addiction
through workshops on substance abuse
and gambling, as well as ways churches can
support people with addictions. lftw.org

a voice in Parliament
said Clifford. “It highlights the work the
churches are already doing on the ground,
serving their communities and making a
positive impact, particularly for those who
might fall through the cracks in society.
“We are thrilled that the Government
has recognised the good work of local
churches and organisations and would
hope that the Square Mile resources will
energise their work.”
Government ministers have strongly
backed the role of faith communities in
helping to deliver their vision for society.
Eric Pickles, Secretary of State for
Communities and Local Government, said
the coalition government is committed
to building on the huge amount of
experience faith groups have in getting
out into the community, and to valuing
the role of religion and faith in public life.
In a speech to Church of England
bishops last summer, Baroness Warsi
added that the question the government
would be asking is, “How can government
help people of faith do even more to build
the Big Society”. For more on this topic,
read Clifford's Last Word (p34).

Evangelical Alliance

BIG SOCIETY AND THE CHURCH.
Churches took Big Society stories of
community transformation to Downing
Street this autumn to reinforce the
message that churches are already
forming an integral part of Government
plans to see lasting change in Britain even
at a time of cut-backs.
A letter was delivered to the Prime
Minister with information about the
Alliance’s Square Mile initiative, which has
been equipping churches to demonstrate
care and support for those who are in
need in their local community. Square
Mile demonstrates the work organisations
such as The Gap in Swansea are doing by
offering opportunities to young people by
helping them find work.
Sarah Richards, director of The Gap,
joined Alliance General Director Steve
Clifford, Church Urban Fund’s Chief
Executive Tim Bissett and prison worker
Mandy Ogunmokun to present a Square
Mile packet to 10 Downing Street (pictured).
“The Square Mile initiative encourages
Christians to let their faith impact lives,
including caring for those around them,”

A PASSION FOR JUSTICE. Tony Campolo is teaming up with
Graham Kendrick for a 13-date UK tour in November to
highlight world poverty and the work of the child development
charity Compassion. “We live in a culture where
ignoring both the poor and Jesus is the norm,”
said Campolo. “But Jesus himself warned
that how we treat the poor is exactly how
we treat Him.” As well as leading worship,
Kendrick will perform songs from his
Acoustic Gospels repertoire, which has
been described as “songs
that tell stories, paint
scenes on the imagination
and feed the spirit with
hope”.
compassionuk.org

INSPIRING YOUNG MEN. A new
publication from Share Jesus International
aims to help teenage boys develop qualities
like passion, humility, courage, respect,
control and responsibility. Aimed at
boys aged 12-14, ManMade features
contributions from a variety of Christian
leaders, and is designed to address a culture
in which young men are surrounded by
promiscuity, drug abuse and gang culture.
“There are so many of these bad new
stories when it comes to teenage guys
becoming young men. We wanted to help
create more good news stories as young
men encounter God,” said Share Jesus
Director Andy Frost. manmadejourney.com

CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM.
Parliament returned from the summer
recess and immediately turned its
attention to a series of constitutional
reforms set out in the coalition’s
programme for government. In two
separate pieces of legislation making their
way through Parliament, wide-ranging
changes to the way elections are
conducted have been proposed.
One bill seeks to fix the length of each
Parliament to five years, which would
remove the power from the Prime Minister
to call an election at a time of their
choosing. Under these plans, an early
election could only be held if supported by
two-thirds of the House of Commons or if
a government cannot be formed in the
14 days following a vote of no confidence.
The second piece of legislation
combines plans to reduce the number
of MPs and equalise constituency size,
enabling legislation for a referendum on
voting reform in May 2011. By reducing
the number of MPs from 650 to 600,
the coalitions seeks to lower the cost of
politics and to ensure that virtually all
constituencies have around 76,000 voters.
The Labour opposition have rejected
this plan, describing it as electoral
gerrymandering to help the Conservatives’
future election prospects. They have
also criticised the coupling of this
constituency review with plans to change
the voting system.
This programme brings together key
aspects from the two parties in the
coalition. The Conservative manifesto
included a plan to reduce the size of the
House of Commons, and Liberal Democrats
pledged to introduce fixed-term
parliaments. For the Liberal Democrats,
reform of the electoral system has been
a regular element of their policy platform,
and some compromise was essential if
they were to join a coalition government
with the Conservatives. The deal allowed
for a referendum on changing the voting
system, yet allowed the Conservatives to
argue against a change in the referendum
campaign. eauk.org/pq
DW

A HIGHER POWER. The Centre for
Intelligent Design has opened in
Glasgow to promote public debate and
challenge the claims of neo-Darwinism.
“Recent surveys of public opinion by
the BBC and Theos, the public policy
thinktank, have indicated a high level
of interest in and sympathy for the
intelligent design position on origins,”
said the centre's director, Dr Alastair
Noble (pictured). “The UK needs a
centre committed to promoting this
debate, both professionally and in
the public square.” The centre is an
independent organisation run by a
network of volunteers. c4id.org.uk

idea nov/dec 2010 • 7

news

Growing in character is critical

Pioneer

Bible Society

A new 48-hour adventure activity programme has been designed to meet
many curriculum targets plus address some of the concerns, issues and
challenges facing a young person in the 21st century. The first of its kind
in the UK, the exploRE residential was launched this autumn by Pioneer
Centre in Cleobury Mortimer, Shropshire. It is a fast-paced and immersive
programme covering topics such as handling emotions, learning
forgiveness, exploring values for living and looking to the future.
Students explore the issues through multi-media presentations,
adventure activities, games and interactive discussion, helping them gain
tools to achieve their potential and improve their lives as individuals and
as members of school and society. (Workshop leaders Andy Hancock and
Bethan Lawler are pictured.)
“Few people would disagree that growing in character is just as critical
for our young people as growing in skills and abilities,” said Gavin Calver,
national director of Youth for Christ, which is collaborating with Pioneer on
the project. “We’re really excited by the potential of the exploRE residential
to support both, challenging young people physically through a host of
exciting outdoor activities and spiritually through relevant communication
of key Christian values for living.”
Calver also stressed the importance of reaching out to young people
who are growing up with pressures and anxieties unfamiliar to previous
generations. “It is a real privilege to be able to share radical godly wisdom
with them, challenging the voices that say that life is about what you can get
out of it and offering biblical ways of finding emotional wellbeing,” he said.
All exploRE material is a resource for use with students 11-14 years
old as part of their Religious Education lessons in school, giving the
opportunity to investigate the Christian faith in a way that is fresh,
engaging and relevant to their everyday lives.
actioncentres.co.uk/pioneer-centre

Bring the Bible alive
Public voting begins 1 November on The
Pitch, Bible Society’s annual contest to
give a young, budding filmmaker the
chance to make a short film and take it
to Hollywood. Now in its second year,
the competition centres on creating a film
inspired by the Bible. During the summer,
aspiring filmmakers created pitches
for their films, which are now available
to view.
The public vote runs for three weeks,
after which a celebrity judging panel
selects a winner who will be announced
in January. Organiser Luke Walton said
the scheme is intended to make the Bible
more accessible. “The Pitch offers
filmmakers a unique opportunity to come
up with a contemporary film drawing on
the Bible for its inspiration,” he said. “Not

only is it a chance for someone to take
their film to Hollywood, it’s also an
incredibly exciting way to bring the Bible
alive for today’s audiences.”
Last year’s winner, Derelict, was
produced by Simeon Lumgair (pictured,
centre, with the judges) and is based on
the book of Philemon. Actor Israel
Aduramo Oyelumade (who appeared in

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s
Chest) played the lead role. “For all
aspiring directors and writers, just get on
and do it. You have nothing to lose,” he
said. “Your film will go to Hollywood. It
will go to the great film festivals. You just
don’t know what will happen. Just get on
with it – that’s what I would say.”
enterthepitch.com
HS

Protests may cause backlash
Church leaders are calling on Christians to reach out to Muslims with
Christ's love rather than expressions of hate. This comes after the
attempt by Florida minister Terry Jones to hold a Koran-burning
protest on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks (see Media Matters, p12).
Eddie Lyle, chief executive of Open Doors UK and Ireland, said that
this kind of “hysterical” reaction could create a dangerous backlash
against Christians living in largely Muslim countries. “Not only could it
endanger people’s lives,” he said, “but it goes against the teachings of
Jesus, who called us to love our neighbour and live in peace with one

another – as far as it’s possible. Open Doors is working tirelessly
to protect the right of Christians to express their faith peacefully,
which could all become undone by the actions of a disproportionate
minority.”
Of the Koran-burning plans, the Alliance's General Director Steve
Clifford said, “History shows that offensive acts such as these are never
isolated incidents as they can spread bad sentiment across the rest of
the world, harming relations between Christians living in Muslim
countries and those of the Islamic faith in the West.” opendoorsuk.org

news

Bible Society/Clare Kendall

Remember
the disabled

Jesus is speaking here
Thousands of people in Tanzania are now
reading the Bible for the first time thanks
to Bible Society’s work to put God’s Word
into their own language. For much of her
life, 33-year-old farmer Josephine MkalaMungi (pictured) had to use a Swahili
Bible, but she can now read the New
Testament in her mother tongue Kikagulu.
“It feels as if God is my best friend
because he is now speaking to me
directly,” she said. “I read how to keep my
faith and how to forgive others. I didn’t
understand these things before.”
In Tanzania some 56 per cent, nearly
200,000 people, in Josephine’s tribe don’t
speak the national language Swahili.
Even more can’t read it. So the Bible was

literally a closed book to them before this
Kikagulu New Testament was published.
Translator Michael Nhonya (pictured
on the cover) spent four years working on
the new Bible. “To finally hear and read it
feels like I’m in heaven,” he said. “It feels
like Jesus is speaking right here. It means
that Christianity will grow here.”
On Bible Sunday, 24 October, Bible
Society asked churchgoers across the UK
to support Bible translation work in
Tanzania and to think about how the
Bible’s message can bring newfound
freedom to those who read it. A Bible
translation project in Burkina Faso is part
of the upcoming Biblefresh initiative.
biblesociety.org.uk

Alliance member charity Leprosy Mission
has warned government leaders that goals
to reduce global poverty will not be met
unless people affected by disability and
neglected tropical diseases – 20 per cent of
the world’s poor – are included. In the runup to September’s Millenium Development
Goal Summit in New York, the Leprosy
Mission and 23 other international nongovernment orgainsations, gathered in
London to hear how the UK Government is
contributing to achieving the goals (MDGs).
The event was Deputy Prime Minister
Nick Clegg’s first public address on issues
of development and the MDGs since
taking office in May. He said that it is “a
moral commitment to keep the promises
that were made in 2000.”
The Leprosy Mission lobbied for issues
of disability and neglected tropical diseases
to be included in the outcomes document
of the MDG Summit, which was called by
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for
world leaders to accelerate progress
towards the MDG targets to reduce
global poverty and advance sustainable
development. There are five years left until
the 2015 deadline to achieve the goals.
The Leprosy Mission is committed
to achieving the MDGs and promotes
inclusive development for people affected
by leprosy and disability. Its programmes
focus on social justice, equality, and
human rights for the most vulnerable
members of society.
leprosymission.org.uk

Plunge into global events
The Director of Micah Challenge International, Rev Joel Edwards,
has issued a challenge to Christians to take action against poverty.
Christians have no option but to immerse themselves in the
sufferings of our world, he said.
Speaking from the UN summit in New York, where world
leaders gathered to discuss the Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs) to halve extreme poverty, Edwards said, “The Church has no
option but to plunge itself into the very centre of global events.
And we do so because God’s love demands it. The most basic
THE PASSION OF BOLLYWOOD.
Filming began in October in
Bethlehem and Jericho on the first
Bollywood version of the life of
Christ, a big-budget movie by veteran
Indian director Singeetham Srinivasa
Rao. Complete with seven songs, the
epic movie will follow Jesus from his
birth to his death and resurrection.
“There are millions of people in India
who follow Christianity. It is a great
faith,” said producer Konda Krishnam
Kalyan. “There is a great audience for
such a film.” The film will be released
in 2011 in English and three Indian
languages.

10 • idea nov/dec 2010

CLASSICAL EVANGELISM. A number
of people came to faith as the result of
a series of classical concerts in Scotland
last summer by Eleos, a Christian flute
and string ensemble. “It’s one of the
more unusual ways of reaching people
with the Good News,” said Luis Palau’s
Europe Director, Nigel Gordon. “It’s
a top quality, fun, evening.” One
businessman said afterwards, “I was
dragged along by my wife, but then
was bowled over by the music, the
multi-media presentation and,
surprisingly, by the humour.” Each event
featured an epilogue by evangelist
Fane Conant. eleosevents.com

understanding of the Gospel and our history compels us to become
involved in the sufferings of our world.”
Leaders at the summit were attempting to close the gap on the
eight targets that the world’s leading nations agreed to meet by
2015. Micah Challenge hosted a worship event in New York during
the summit in mid-September, and then on 10 October 2010, 100
million Christians in 40 nations united in a promise to remember
the poor. Events took place in cities on five continents: Sydney,
Chennai, Lusaka, Guayaquil and London.
A POSITIVE APPROACH. This
year's Prisons Week, 21-27
November, is taking the theme
Be With Me. As Prisons Week chair
Rev Bob Payne explains, “In a place
where isolation and division seem
dominant, we hear the words
of Jesus to the penitent thief:
‘You will be with me in paradise,’
bringing hope to an isolated and
broken person.” The aim of Prisons
Week is to pray and work for
all who are affected by prisons.
Resources are available for special
church services, study, worship and
ministry. prisonsweek.org

Compassion

Get medicine
oﬀ the shelves

As World Aids Day on 1 December approaches, Alliance member
charity Compassion is warning that billions of pounds of foreign
aid might not be reaching the world's most vulnerable people.
The problem is that many of the Aids medicines supplied by
international agencies aren't travelling from the clinics to the
people who need them most.
“A jar on a dusty shelf in the clinic must not be the goal,”
says Dr Scott Todd, Compassion’s senior ministry advisor. “We
cannot congratulate ourselves and call that jar ‘access’. The jar
on the shelf is not access; it is merely inventory.”
Compassion’s Aids initiative is based around prevention,
treatment and rehabilitation and aims to ensure that vital
medical assistance makes it that last mile. By working through
local churches, Compassion is able to reach into the heart of
the community.
In Uganda, Madina and her Compassion-sponsored stepson
Zyed (pictured) have seen their family transformed by this
initiative. While anti-retroviral medicines are widely available in
Uganda, a country that has been hailed as a leader in the fight
against HIV/Aids, many simply can’t afford the bus fare to get
to the clinic each week for their prescription. That is where
Compassion is stepping in.
"I get money for transport to the health centre for treatment.
I get Septrine and ARV's,” said Medina. “Sometimes I go with
a cough, pneumonia, the rash and they treat me. I improved
greatly... I am no longer very sick and too thin.”
Another vital element of support that Medina receives
through the local church-based Compassion programme is
emotional and spiritual. The stigma that surrounds HIV/Aids
remains one of the greatest barriers that prevent people seeking
treatment.
While steps are being made to make life-giving drugs more
widely available, Africa’s epidemic continues to outpace the
response as the number of people living with HIV/Aids continues
to rise. compassionuk.org

Saltmine

CS LEWIS ON STAGE AND SCREEN.
A dramatisation of CS Lewis' classic
book The Screwtape Letters has
returned to stages up and down the UK.
Saltmine Theatre Company’s awardwinning production was originally
staged in 1993 and still carries a
powerful message for audiences about
the struggle between good and evil. It
also features Saltmine Artistic Director
David Robinson (pictured)in the
memorable title role. UK tour dates are
scheduled until late March. Meanwhile,
CS Lewis is also in cinemas this
Christmas with the release of the third
Narnia movie (see p28). saltmine.org

Losing a
husband is
devastating.
I want to help
families after
I’ve gone.
Anne Steele
Care for
the Family
supporter

Anne Steele believes in family, and the
importance of caring people during times of
crisis.
She was only 45 when her husband died, leaving
her with two daughters to raise alone. She says,
“A Christian charity like Care for the Family can
help you get through.”
“When a legacy leaflet came recently, I thought,
‘I can do that.’ I want to help families like mine
after I’ve gone.”
Through empathy and ordinary means, Anne
has used her Will to provide invaluable help and
support for people like her.
Could you do that too? Find out more at

news
story with their lives.”
Schools can opt to buy a video with
lesson plans and details of fashion designs
that students can use to design their own
outfit to fill an empty hanger. Design
technology classes can then design a clothes
rack that symbolises the whole school or
community. biblesociety.org.uk
HS

A living
family tree

Bible Society/Clare Kendall

The gift of independence

represent Eve, Jacob, Rahab, Joseph and
Jesus. And there’s one empty hanger,
which youngsters can use to design an
outfit to tell their own story and make
them part of the same family tree.
“I hope that as Empty Hanger goes
around the country, children will enjoy
it and that it fires their imagination and
fires their creativity,” said Rev Joanna
Jepson, chaplain to the London College
of Fashion. “The stories convey profound
struggles of heroes and anti-heroes, which
will connect with them. They will realise
that God can use them and be writing a

media
matters

by Charis Gibson, Head of Media

T

o Rev Terry Jones, it must have seemed the perfect media
stunt. To the majority of Christians across the world, it was
the worst press our faith could get. Threatening to burn
the Koran on 11 September was certainly a good way to
gain attention for a tiny Florida church. But the sheer extent of the
furore must have been a surprise to Jones and his followers.
As the date for the burnings approached, the story snowballed.
Critics from Barack Obama to the Pope – and even Sarah Palin – lined
up to condemn him, with Christians and non-Christians alike pointing
out the hypocrisy of claiming these actions for Christ. The story
headlined news bulletins across the world.
DEVELOPING LEADERS. A series of
leadership development events is taking
place this autumn across the country run
by CPAS, the Anglican evangelical mission
agency, in partnership with a variety of
denominational leaders. Making Mission
Possible aims to develop leaders for mission
through a programme that includes events
centred on vision, team-building, youth
work and discipleship. “My prayer is that
this initiative will help equip leaders of
all ages to enable their local church to be
more effective in bringing men, women
and children to Christ,” said CPAS General
Director Rev John Dunnett.
makingmissionpossible.org.uk

12 • idea nov/dec 2010

TEENS TEAM UP. British and Romanian
teenagers teamed up this summer for
Christian outreach in Romania, arranged
by Alliance member OAC Ministries. And
the experience proved transformative
for both sets of teens. For example, the
naturally shy Jack Oliver from Bristol
participated in open-air meetings
attended by large crowds. “I learned a lot,”
he said. “This helped me to become more
confident and comfortable in talking to
people about my faith. It’s definitely made
me a stronger witness.” OAC works in 26
countries, working in partnership with the
local church to present Christ “by all
means everywhere”. oacgb.org.uk

With death threats pouring in, Rev Jones discovered that media
stunts can be a dangerous game. Maybe he consoled himself with
Matthew 5, convinced he was being persecuted for his misguided
attempts at righteousness.
But on seeing the report of a shooting in Afghanistan at a protest
against Jones, another passage came to my mind from James 3:
“Consider what a great forest is set fire by a small spark. The tongue is
also a fire.... With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with
it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the
same mouth come praise and cursing. My brother, this should not be.”
If the tongue was described as a spark even before the printing
press was invented, it can be a flame-thrower in a 24-hour news cycle.
As a former journalist, I always want to be the first to make a
comment on a story. But having become a press officer, I am much
more aware of the consequences of what we say and do and how the
media respond. Rev Jones has reminded me that these consequences
can be dreadful indeed.

OAC

A new scheme to make the Bible come
alive to teenagers was set to be launched
by Bible Society at the Christian Resources
Exhibition in Telford in late October.
Empty Hanger is the brainchild of teacher
Chris Blockley, who wanted to tell 188
stories from the gospels through different
media in his lessons at Bishops’ College
school in Gloucester.
Bible Society joined forces with the
London College of Fashion to help bring
the first story alive: Jesus’ family tree. The
result is five outfits, designed by London
College of Fashion students, which

Alliance member charity Livability has
launched an online Christmas gift shop
that allows supporters to combine their
gift purchases with a chance to help a
great cause. All profits will help fund
work with young people and adults with
learning and physical disabilities in the UK.
The website offers gifts in a variety of
categories, including cards, crackers,
Advent calendars and candles, and
stocking fillers, as well as wrapping and
bows. There is also an alternative range of
gifts for disabled people, such as cinema
tickets, a horticulture pack for schools and
a custom-made keyboard.
“Any purchase made from our
Christmas catalogue will provide the gift of
independence, choice and opportunity to
many disabled people and their families,’’
said Livability's John Chamberlain.
livability.org.uk/shop

IT’S A BLOCKBUSTER. A new version
of the Bible will appeal to readers
with 215 fast-paced biblical tales
arranged in chronological order.
Published by Kingsway/David C Cook,
The Action Bible guides the reader
through the story with bold
illustrations by Sergio Cariello that
add an urgent pace to the overall
narrative. Doug Mauss, David C Cook’s
general editor hopes that this “epic
rendition” will draw readers into “all
the excitement of the world's most
awesome story”. And there’s even a
video trailer online to market it to
new audiences. theactionbible.com

Christian Aid

CHANGE LIVES AT CHRISTMAS. Churches and groups can reach out
in powerful ways this Christmas by purchasing virtual gifts through
Present Aid. New gift ideas this year include a sturdy bamboo shelter
for a Burmese refugee family (£230) and an adult literacy centre in
Sierra Leone (£543). Group gifts start at £100, which will enable a
child in Haiti to return to school, covering their first four months
of school fees and providing a uniform and school stationery.
More ambitious groups could raise £780 to provide a year of primary
school education for 30 children in Bangladesh (pictured). The goal
is for Christians in the UK to club together to make a difference in
communities around the world. Individuals can also participate by
buying smaller gifts with prices starting at £7. presentaid.org

Christmas on the buses

St Ethelburgas

In November and December, more than 1,000 posters asking the
question “Is there more to Christmas?” will appear inside buses in
London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast.
The campaigns are being sponsored by Message on the Move
(MEMO) as part of a ministry to communicate Christian truth to
the travelling public in the UK.
The posters answer the question by quoting perhaps the bestknown verse in the Bible, John 3.16. People can respond by text,
website or telephone, and all enquirers will be sent a free copy of
a DVD More to Christmas, produced by Viz-a-Viz Ministries, which
contains testimonies of people who have found the real meaning
of Christmas.
Churches and individuals can sponsor poster campaigns in their
area. For information, visit: me-mo.org or tel 01884 35658.
A RADIO MILESTONE. In lateSeptember, evangelist Andrew Palau's
Love Kampala festival was broadcast
across all of Africa by Alliance member
Trans World Radio. This is the first time
an event like this has been aired live
to the whole continent, which is home
to nearly 1 billion people. “Trans World
Radio is committed to exploring every
possible way to share the Gospel and
communicate the Christian message,”
said TWR Chief Executive Dr Russell
Farnworth. “We were therefore very
excited about this opportunity to take
the Kampala festival to all of Africa by
radio.” twr.org.uk

I can’t
change the
world, but my
legacy can
transform
lives.
Sheila Gabbott
Supporter of
The Leprosy
Mission

Sheila Gabbott has been to India and seen the
work of The Leprosy Mission for herself. She
knows just how important it is.
“I love the fact that The Leprosy Mission is
reducing the stigma of leprosy as well as treating
people who are affected.”
“I’m absolutely convinced I’ve done the right
thing in leaving a legacy to The Leprosy Mission.
I may not be able to change the world, but my
legacy can make a difference to somebody”
Sheila modestly says she can’t change the world
- but through her Will, she will be changing the
lives of many people affected by leprosy.
Find out how you could change the world too, at

Get ready for the King
Krish Kandiah, the Alliance's executive
director for Churches in Mission, writes...
Inception, Avatar and Toy Story 3 were, in
my opinion, the best movies of 2010. The
cinema experience of these films exceeded
my sense of anticipation and made me want
to watch more than once.
Often the trailers give away too much of
the plot, reveal all the funny one-liners and
sometimes tell me how the story ends. Even
if I am tempted to go see the movie from
the trailer, I am often left with a sense of
disappointment and anticlimax.
God in His wisdom wrote a trailer for the
Christmas story. Hundreds of years before
Jesus was born, God began to tell His people
what they had to look forward to. As the
sense of anticipation builds through the
Old Testament, God's people are prepared
for the first Christmas. But there would be no
anticlimax. Everything about the birth and life
and death of Jesus surpasses all expectations.
In this year’s Advent Prayer Guide,
we invite you to watch that trailer with us
as we look forward to Christmas morning.
By walking through the Old Testament with
Scripture Union's Advent reflections during
December, we will discover how God
prepares our minds and hearts for history's
turning point. This is also a great start to
Biblefresh in 2011 – our year of the Bible.
A free copy of the Alliance's Advent
Prayer Guide, sponsored by Scripture
Union, comes with each issue of idea.
If yours is missing, or you'd like additional
copies, visit: eauk.org/adventprayer or tel:
020 7207 2100.

FREE FILM CLUB. A young church
leader in East London is taking
advantage of local interest in cinema
to run a community movie night. New
church plant Kingdom Assembly in
Deptford aims to share the Christian
faith in a culturally relevant way, and
minister Michael Kosmas believes films
can be used to reach the unchurched.
“All the films screened will be family
films,” said Kosmas, “so we are hoping
different generations of family will
attend KA Film club screenings, so
they’ll learn about God and also build
stronger relationships with each
other.” kingdomassembly.org.uk

14 • idea nov/dec 2010

Born in Croatia, Miroslav Volf
is a professor at Yale
University Divinity School.
His theological explorations
of ethics and conflictresolution have made him one
of today's most influential
Christian thinkers. His book
Exclusion and Embrace
(Abingdon) was chosen as
one of the 100 best religious
books of the 20th century by
Christianity Today magazine.
idea: What’s your first memory of
reading the Bible?
Volf: I think the Bible was first read to
me when I was 3 or 4. This was always
what we did. In the morning at breakfast
my father would open the Bible, and we
would read a portion of scripture. It
continued throughout my childhood.
When I was in my teens I got to be a
bit weary of it and a bit scared when
the book of Revelation came along,
but otherwise the Bible was with us.
So how do you keep your Bible
reading fresh?
The best way for me to keep it fresh is
that I always have a set of questions that
I ask of the Bible. If I just come to it as
routine reading, I find that my mind
wanders away. If ask it questions, if I
interrogate the Bible, then it starts
interrogating me, asking me back the
questions and shaping my own life. That’s
where the interest comes, because it’s a
book of life. It’s a book that grips you at
very deep places. And it asks you to reflect
on where you are, what you are about and
above all where are you headed.

GOD WITH US. An Advent book
from Alliance member BRF is taking
a new approach to the message of
Christmas. In her book Pilgrims to
the Manger, author Naomi Starkey
equates the Advent season to a
pilgrimage taken “in the company of
others to a destination of particular
spiritual significance”. The narrative
focuses on an imaginary group of
people, of whom the reader is one,
travelling through the streets of an
average small UK city. As they journey,
they reflect on the seasonal festivities,
the values on which they base their
lives and Jesus’ birth. brf.org.uk

If I interrogate
the Bible, then it starts
interrogating me
How does it impact your day-to-day
ministry?
It impacts my ministry by being part of a
world in which the ministry happens. If
you think about it, what we as Christians
believe is really a short version of the very
rich story of the Bible. So for any ministry,
I think it happens within the world that
has been sketched by the Bible. And then
there are bits and pieces, individual texts
and messages that speak to us. It’s almost
like you have this large theme that’s going
on, and individual promptings that
happen depending on where you find
yourself and how you see things. And then
I find the Bible, almost every time I read
any passage, to be always different from
the last time I read it. biblefresh.com AM

STORIES OF A CENTENARY. To mark its 100th
birthday in 2011, the Hayes Conference Centre in
Swanwick, Derbyshire, is collecting memories from
those who have visited over the years. More than
40,000 people visit Hayes every year to pray,
worship and ponder their futures, and many are
called to full-time ministry or missionary service.
The plan is to put these memories together into a
larger story of Hayes' history as a place where
Christians from around the world gather together.
cct.org.uk/thinkingback

For updated news from Alliance members,
click on Your Stories at eauk.org/idea

SOUL SURVIVOR IS ALL ABOUT HELPING
PEOPLE TO CONNECT WITH GOD.
We run loads of events throughout the year where we spend time
worshipping God, learning from the Bible and waiting on the Holy
Spirit. We’d love you to join us!

I want my
legacy to invest
in the future,
and benefit as
many children as
possible.
Maureen
Staniforth
Livability supporter

Maureen Staniforth is passionate about seeing
children reach their full potential. “Children
are precious, and I have always supported
children’s charities,” she says.
A serious illness four years ago made her think
about her Will. She decided to include a legacy
to the disabiliity charity Livability.
“I hope my support for Livability will enable
them to care for many more disabled children,
long into the future.”
Through ordinary means, Maureen has done
something extraordinary with her Will.
If you feel you could leave a legacy of Christian
love in action, find out more at

After the horrific events in 1990s Rwanda, a
church leader sees lessons we can all learn
about reconciliation. Hazel Southam reports...

Tearfund

When enemies
forgive each other

W

hen Rev Philbert Kalisa stood up to speak about
conflict resolution at the Lausanne Congress in Cape
Town in October he was talking from experience. Now
44, Philbert was born a refugee in Burundi after his
parents fled neighbouring Rwanda. But he was studying in the UK when,

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in 1994, the long-running tensions between Hutus and Tutsis in Rwanda
boiled to the surface resulting in Africa’s worst genocide. Some 800,000
people – nearly a tenth of the population – were violently killed in just
three months. Two million more fled to Burundi.
It was an episode that shaped the country, the region, much
international foreign policy and the rest of Kalisa’s life. He’s spent the
last 14 years working for reconciliation in Rwanda and believes the
country’s experience has much to teach the Church.
Knowing that members of his family were killed during the
genocide, Philbert headed for the conflict-torn nation to see what was
happening firsthand. “The country was destroyed,” he recalls. “There was
no unity between religious communities. I could see the suffering of the
people in their despair.”
One woman’s story particularly struck him. Her name was Agnes, and
she was from the majority Hutu tribe. Her husband was Tutsi. During the
genocide her husband and children were killed. She was beaten and raped.
After the genocide it transpired that her aunt had arranged the
murders. “Agnes was very shocked that a member of her family was
involved,” Philbert says. “She was out of control for months. But slowly
she was healed and in the end she forgave those who did this to her. She
also went to prison to visit those who had killed her family and gave
them food. This action has changed the offenders, who have since come
to her and asked for forgiveness. Through her story, many women have
forgiven others. They say, ‘If Agnes can forgive, then so can I.’”
Forgiveness, says Kalisa “is very powerful”. And he believes its major
effect is on the forgiver, not for the forgiven. “When you have been
victimised or bullied, you live in despair and hatred. You become a
victim twice: once for the act, the second time for the emotion. You
have to carry it about. You can’t be free until you forgive, but it’s not an
easy thing to do.”
It’s a message he’s taken through his organisation Reach, a Tearfund
partner, across Rwanda to 23,000 people. Some 3,000 of these now
actively work for reconciliation in their villages – training others,
helping the perpetrators of the genocide reintegrate into the
community and visiting prisoners.
“The atmosphere in Rwanda after the genocide was shocking,” says
Philbert. “It was a country paralysed by fear. But now that’s changed.
People understand each other more, there is more openness and people
are less traumatised.”
All this may sound far from our day-to-day experiences, but Philbert
believes that his work in reconciliation in Rwanda has wider implications
for the Church around the world. “It’s important that the Church is
involved in reconciliation wherever you live in the world,” he says.

‘You can’t be free until you forgive,
but it’s not an easy thing to do’

“Reconciliation is from God. He is its author. He reconciles ourselves to
Himself. I can’t see what the future of the Church is if it isn’t doing this
work of reconciliation. If we can’t be ambassadors of reconciliation who
can be?”
For someone who’s seen a very bleak past, Philbert Kalisa is
remarkably positive about the future. The Church is, he says, key to the
future of the world. “If the Church can stand and focus on this ministry,
I can see that peace will prevail in the world. When I look at how many
Christians there are in the world, I believe that they can create peace.”
For more information about Philbert Kalisa's work,
visit: reach-rwanda.org

> > > Looking at the world differently

TWR Today
News and Comment - Live at noon on weekdays
Trans World Radio - International Christian Broadcasting

Nationally on satellite channel 0138, Freesat 790 and online at www.twr.org.uk
In the North West of England on DAB digital radio
Trans World Radio, PO Box 606, Altrincham, WA14 2YS. info@twr.org.uk Registered Charity in England No 233363

Q LANGHAM PREACHING partners
with national leaders to nurture
indigenous biblical preaching
movements for pastors and lay
preachers all around the world.
Q LANGHAM LITERATURE provides
books in many languages and
support for local Christian
writers and publishers in their
own language and culture.
Q LANGHAM SCHOLARS programme
supports evangelical doctoral
students from the Majority
World who return to become
the leaders and teachers of their
countriesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; next generation of
pastors.

cover story

The Bible changed
my life
Photographs by Rob Purbrick, Miles
Giljam, Steph Glinski and Tom Godec

T

he request was simple: write down
on a card your answer to the
question, “How has the Bible
changed your world?” A selection
of the resulting photos are collected on the
following pages to mark the launch of the
Biblefresh initiative, which is challenging
Christians to read the Bible in 2011, to learn
how to understand it, to help others
experience it in new ways and to support the
translation of the Bible into another language.
More than 100 Christian organisations and
churches have already signed up to this
challenge, and many more individuals have
responded by posting their own photos, which
will be featured over the next year in print,
online and in exhibitions to mark the
Biblefresh movement.
So what would you write on your sign?

Rachel Gardner (left) works for Romance Academy,
helping teenagers deal with one of the most complex
issues they face: sex. “As a follower of Christ, I want
to let young people explore how God made them,"
she says. “We need to help them build self-esteem
and provide alternatives to promiscuity. At Romance
Academy, we try to create a positive community for
the young people so that everything is done with
them feeling valued and unique. They are in a
sexualised environment that says that in order to be
a true man or woman you have to be sexually active
and a successful person. Drugs, drink and peer
pressure affect sexual choices. We need to be dealing
with being sexual creatures and having our first
identity in that we are made in God’s image.”

idea nov/dec 2010 • 19

20 â&#x20AC;˘ idea nov/dec 2010

r. “Over the
Steve Clifford (left) is the Alliance's general directo
source of real
a
been
has
12
is
Genes
in
am
years, the call of Abrah
ry,” he says.
encouragement and focus for my own life and minist
of general
role
the
for
apply
to
er
wheth
ering
“When I was consid
it all. One
director at the Alliance, I was really unsure about
God to make
weekend I devoted myself to the question, asking
no great flash
Himself clear to me. I prayed, read, meditated, but
g to lead a
helpin
was
I
g
evenin
y
Sunda
the
On
of revelation came.
down to listen.
live celebration, interviewed the speaker and sat
to speak
He started his talk by announcing that he was going
about how
from Hebrews 11.8 (the call of Abraham). He talked
home and go
Abraham had obeyed when God called him to leave
inheritance. He
to another land that God would give him as his
to me at that
went ‘without knowing where he was going’. It felt
for my life clear.
point that God was specifically making His will
nce had to be
Whether I got the job or not, my response of obedie
a step of faith like Abraham’s.”

idea nov/dec 2010 • 21

Les Isaac (left) works for Street Pastors. “I would
describe
the Scriptures as a powerful tool to measure wheth
er we are
doing God’s work,” he says. “Every day we’re suppo
sed to
measure: ‘Am I living the way Jesus wants me to
live? Am I
doing the things that Jesus wants me to do? Am
I saying
the things that Jesus wants me to say? Am I defend
ing the
weak, the poor, the marginalised? Am I doing that?
Am I
being a voice for the kingdom?’ Scriptures teach
us those
things. So as far back as I could remember, I knew
that
Christianity wasn’t for church, for Sunday mornin
gs, getting
woodworm in my posterior; it’s for actually doing
the
salting and the lighting. So the relevancy, the applic
ation –
that’s what Scripture is like, challenging
us to be like Jesus.”

22 • idea nov/dec 2010

Biblefresh will run through 2011, the 400th anniv
ersary of the King
James Version. There are already a variety of resou
rces available for
churches and groups to get involved. Biblefresh asks
the Church to
make four pledges during 2011:
To read the Bible together
To help people experience the Bible in new and
creative ways.

To invest in training the whole church to under
stand
and apply the Bible
To raise money to translate the Bible for Burkin
a Faso
To get involved, find resources, link with other
partners
and post your own photo, visit: biblefresh.com

idea nov/dec 2010 â&#x20AC;˘ 23

essay

Is the Bible still relevant?
Society may think the Bible is
outdated, but Alistair McKitterick,
lecturer in biblical and theological
studies at Moorlands, knows better...

I

n Stephen Hawking’s new book, Grand Design, he writes, “Because
there are laws such as gravity, the universe can and will create
itself from nothing. It is not necessary to invoke God to light the
blue touch paper and set the universe going.”
Like other secularists, Hawking believes that you don’t really need
God to understand the universe. And if you don’t really need God, then
there’s really no need to have a book about God. That would be like
needing a manual for servicing flying carpets: since flying carpets
don’t exist, there’s not much point wasting your time reading how to
service them.
It is no surprise, therefore, that for these secular scientists – and for
the secular media as well – the Bible is completely irrelevant.
It is important to note, however, that they probably haven’t found
the Bible to be irrelevant by reading it. It is their worldview that makes
them believe the Bible must be irrelevant. So how is it they have such
a low view of the Bible, whereas most Christians around the world
consider the Bible to be one of our most valued possessions? What is it
about our secular society’s worldview that makes people ignore it?

Basic assumptions
We all have a worldview that shapes what we know. In his book Personal
Religion, Public Reality?, philosophy professor Dallas Willard writes,
“Worldview, simply put, consists of the most general and basic
assumptions about what is real and what is good – including
assumptions about who we are and what we should do. That may
sound terribly abstract to you, but there is in fact nothing more
practical than our worldview, for it determines the orientation of
everything else we think and do.”
JP Moreland, another Christian philosopher, writes in his book
Kingdom Triangle that our society is in the thick of a battle between
three main worldviews: post-modernism, scientific naturalism and
Christian theism.
Stephen Hawking holds the second of these, arguing that only
matter and energy are real, and the only thing that counts as knowledge
is what science can tell us. For Hawking, if you want to know about the
world and about ourselves, there is no point in reading a book written
thousands of years before science began.
The Christian theist, on the other hand, has a completely different
worldview, observing that there is a personal God who is more real than
the matter and energy of the universe, and that He created the world in
order to live in covenant relationship with us. The way we know this is
through revelation from God in the Bible.
So how can we get our secular neighbours to change worldviews
and start seeing the relevance of the Bible? John Lennox, the Oxford
Professor of Mathematics, shows a practical way to challenge their
scientific worldview. He asks a simple but profound question: “Which
came first, mind or matter?” In other words, did the mind of God create
all matter, or did matter make a mind by itself? Are we the result of a
mindless process of evolution, or was the universe made with us in mind?
In a Daily Mail article, Lennox challenged Stephen Hawking at the

24 • idea nov/dec 2010

The Christian worldview has
credible answers to real questions
worldview level. “As a scientist I'm certain Stephen Hawking is wrong,”
Lennox said. “You can't explain the universe without God.”
Hawking wants to convince us that the universe created itself,
because all that’s needed is the law of gravity. But where, Lennox asks,
did the law of gravity come from? And who lit the blue touch paper that
set it in motion?

The big questions
Hawking’s secular worldview can’t answer the big questions of life:
where the laws of the universe come from, the fine-tuning of the
physical constants and the complex make-up of each cell. He certainly
can’t explain consciousness, not to mention the biggest question
everyone must ask: what is the purpose of it all?
The Christian worldview, on the other hand, does have credible
answers to these real questions. God tells us in the Bible, “In the
beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word
was God... Through him all things were made” (John 1.1-3).
This worldview approach, of course, is not new. Paul used it when
he addressed the Greek philosophers in Athens (see Acts 17). God is
the Creator, he begins, and He created us so that we should seek Him.
Paul concludes by pointing towards the return of Jesus and the hope
of resurrection.
And as Paul’s experience shows, this doesn’t always result in revival,
and some will scoff at our words the way they scoffed at Paul’s message.
Rather, it is a slow, often difficult process to change the way people they
see the world. But if we want to get our secular society to value the
Bible, we have to show people how God’s Word more than answers the
big questions that their shallow, materialist worldview can’t.
Once our neighbours see their own life-story as part of the big
story of God, then the Bible will become as relevant to them as the air
we breathe.

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units in a separate wing. Now we need to recruit a
Care Nurse Manager.
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Amid redundancies, spending cuts and mounting debt,
how can a Christian keep giving? Marianne Clough
finds a new way to think about generosity...

B

ack in 2008 the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu,
challenged us to see the imminent recession with fresh and
hopeful eyes. He said our greedy consumerism had worn
away the glue that held our communities together.
Two years down the track, the latest report from the Charity
Commission says that 19 per cent of charities have seen an increased
demand for their services, while 59 per cent say they have been
adversely affected by the downturn.
In the same way that people who have experienced real evil in their
lives can be quicker to recognise a good thing when it comes along,
the recession gives us the perfect backdrop to show that Christians do
things differently.

The gift of life
I was sitting quietly in church before a service recently and became
aware that everything around me was soaked in God. The wood in the
pew: grown by Him. The air itself: breathed by Him. Every heartbeat of
the people near me: powered by His choice to give us the gift of life.
Whatever we give needs to be motivated by a fresh remembrance of
the powerful God of John 1.3 and from cheerful thankfulness to Him.
We can’t out-give God, so we need to aim to give as if directly to Him,
not with a spirit that says, “Good, conscience abated,” but rather, “Lord,
this is yours, as everything I have is yours. Thank you for letting me keep
the rest.”
In Mark 12 the widow didn’t have anything to give, yet God looked
at her heart and measured her gift by her motive. So before we sign the
direct debit, we need to examine our hearts or we risk being like Cain,
whose offering was notably inadequate.

26 • idea nov/dec 2010

Christians Against Poverty’s CEO Matt Barlow says, “It might sound
far-fetched, but getting your bank statements out could be the
beginning of a great work of God.”

A generous spirit
However your personality may rage against it – as mine does – getting
your finances organised and setting a budget is the only way forward.
It’s then that can we decide how sacrificially we can go.
One couple I know does this rather differently: they have an account
set aside just for God’s work. With impressive discipline, they pay into it
through the year then look forward to a set day when they sit
surrounded by leaflets they have picked up at various events and
prayerfully decide where to aim it. “The anticipation of what God will do
with it is genuinely exciting,” they say.
In this spirit of generosity, here are some suggestions to help us
make the most of what we give:
• Pray that God makes our gift fruitful and magnifies it.
• Tick the GiftAid box, if possible. For £10 given, it will add £2.50 in
re-paid tax for the charity plus a government supplement of 3p
per £1.
• Some 4.3 million people received a surprise payout from the Inland
Revenue this autumn. If we received a cheque, perhaps we can give
some away to help those who will feel the pinch.
• Give more to fewer charities. This keeps down the costs of mailings,
which is considerable. If we’re getting post that hits the recycling
bin before a word is read, we should ask the charity not to send it.
It may not feel like giving, but we will be saving them cash.
• Make extra money for others while shopping online. If everyone did

The recession gives us the perfect
backdrop to show that Christians
do things differently

•
•

this with their Christmas shop thousands would be raised for good
causes. See if a favourite charity is listed at with Give As You Live at
fundraisers.everyclick.com, or shop at:
buy.at/christiansagainstpoverty
In a similar way, save stamps as they come in and pass them onto a
charity. One is stampsforevangelism.co.uk
The most precious thing we can give anyone is our time. We can
volunteer in a hundred ways, train for a sponsored event or even
do a Tony Hancock and give an armful: blood.co.uk

Thoughtful giving
As a cash-strapped Christmas approaches, I need to imagine myself in
someone else’s day and see what God does with it. Few people take time
to think beyond their own existence, so it really stands out:
• Babysitting can give a couple real marriage-building space. Listening
to a child read can increase their confidence. What about texting
someone “goodnight” when we know they are on their own? Or
making a meal for a single parent?
• One church I know encourages its members to make more Sunday
lunch than they need with the intention of inviting someone back

after the service. At worst, they say, you can freeze the surplus if
there are no takers. Nothing is wasted.
• Write a letter expressing thanks or giving someone an unexpected
giggle. Unlike an email, a hand-written communication will be
valued and re-read. Many churches offer listening services that are
very popular, proving that some people just have no-one to talk to.
• One of the nicest presents a relative gives me each Christmas is £100
to spend in a supermarket from stamps she’s saved up all year. Her
present is a year in the making.
• Most importantly, we need to be generous with what God has
taught us. Be on the look out for people wanting to be where we
are. For example, invite teenagers on work experience, give out a
contact name or do a job at home more deliberately so a young
person can learn and take part. Show an older person how to use
their new digital TV.
And don't forget the promise God gave us in Luke 6.38: “Give and it
will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together
and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you
use, it will be measured to you.”
For information about CAP’s money
management course, visit: capuk.org

Marianne Clough runs the Bradford Media Hub,
part of the Alliance’s Forum for Change. She is
also national PR officer for Christians Against Poverty.

idea nov/dec 2010 • 27

talking points

Walden/Fox

On an
adventure
Looking for conversation starters, Sophie Lister
finds relevant themes in popular culture...

Pathe

Films

28 • idea nov/dec 2010

AFRICA UNITED (opens 22 Oct)
Produced by Christians, this lively and
colourful adventure movie centres on four
children hitchhiking from Rwanda to South
Africa to take part in the opening ceremony
of the 2010 World Cup. Along the way,
the film takes in the relevant big issues,
including Aids, war refugees, child soldiers
and the sex trade. These are seen in the
context of the children's everyday lives,
which is startlingly effective. And while the
plot's sentimentality feels a little forced,
the filmmakers vividly capture the
continent's obsession with football as well
as the difference caring people can make
in a child's life.
RC

adventure and the unknown – is a precious lesson in itself.
The recent Narnia film adaptations have been somewhat heavier
in tone than the books. Clearly influenced by the success of The Lord
of the Rings movies, the filmmakers have chosen to aim more at teens
than children. This December sees the release of the third Narnia
film, and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader promises to restore some
enchantment to the franchise. Arguably the most beloved (and
cinematic) of the series, Dawn Treader is less about epic battles and
more about a journey of the imagination.

ANOTHER YEAR (5 Nov)
Mike Leigh astutely slices through polite
society with this North London drama
about a couple (Jim Broadbent and Ruth
Sheen) trying to quietly live their happy,
easy life while around them their friends
and family (including the outstanding
Lesley Manville and David Bradley)
struggle with a variety of heavy issues.
The film gently simmers with raw
honestly about things both said and
unsaid, while the gifted actors mine
the material for rich subtext. And even
though the film is made up mostly of
conversations, the attention to detail is
often deeply moving.
RC

MIRAL (3 Dec)
A true story from Israel, this drama covers 50 years
with earthy honesty, tracing the legacy of Hind (Hiam
Abbass), a Palestinian woman who with partition in
1948 opened her home to young Muslim refugees.
One of her children is Miral (Slumdog Millonaire's
Freida Pinto), a smart young teen whose journey from
narrow-minded to sensitively observant is
at the heart of the film. Beautifully shot
and edited in a jagged, genuine
way, the film's abrupt ending
undermines the story's
emotional power. But it's
still an urgent, enlightening
approach to a deeply
thorny issue.
RC
Warner

T

he Narnia books are infused with the magic of childhood.
For those of us who first encountered them at a young
age, they conjure memories of bedtime stories – of hoping
against hope that we could really walk through a wardrobe
into a snowy wood.
Reading the familiar stories through adult eyes may reveal more
clearly the biblical allegories beneath the surface. But perhaps our
childhood experiences of CS Lewis’ fantastical world have something
equally potent to teach us. Perhaps the magic – the sense of wonder,

A new side of Narnia: Lucy takes in the view (Georgie Henley,
left), while King Caspian greets his old pal Edmund (Ben Barnes
and Skandar Keynes, right)

The story finds Edmund (Skandar Keynes) and Lucy (Georgie
Henley) returned to Narnia with their sour cousin Eustace (Will
Poulter) when they are swept through a magical painting. Fished out
of the sea and onto the good ship Dawn Treader, they are reunited
with their friend Caspian (Ben Barnes), now a king, then set off on the
voyage of a lifetime. Caspian and his crew are sailing eastwards on a
quest to find the seven lost lords of Narnia, who were exiled during
his usurping uncle’s rein.

Seeking adventure
Unlike the previous two stories, this instalment does not find the land
of Narnia in dire peril; there is no evil witch to defeat and no throne
to reclaim. Instead, King Caspian has chosen to seek adventure for
adventure’s sake. To the literal-minded Eustace, nothing could be more
senseless. Raised without storybooks and more concerned with health
and safety than with reaching the end of the world, it takes a drastic
transformation to turn Eustace into anything resembling a warrior.
It isn’t difficult to identify with Eustace, as we’re often far too
tied up in the prosaic follies and fashions of our culture. He requires
a lesson in humility before he can begin to appreciate the wonders of
the voyage with the same childlike excitement as his cousins. In other
words, in gaining a childlikeness he loses his childishness.
No longer petty and self-centred, he becomes a useful member
of the crew, even taking up a sword when the ship is in peril. It's a
striking, subtle portrayal of how we move towards maturity through
acknowledging our comparative ignorance and discovering our
positions as dependent children of God.

Threats and temptations
It is appropriate, in the light of this, that the Dawn Treader’s most
courageous crew member is its smallest. Reepicheep the mouse
(voiced by Simon Pegg), diminutive though he might be, lacks nothing
when it comes to bravery. His love of adventure and willingness to
plunge headlong into danger puts the others to shame. Captivated
by the thought of reaching Aslan’s country at the end of the world,
Reepicheep is unperturbed by the threats and temptations that rear
their heads along the way.
His faith in his destination is unshakeable, and his desire to reach
it overwhelming. The straightforwardness with which he pursues his
goal calls to mind Paul’s words: “I press on to reach the end of the
race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ
Jesus, is calling us” (Philippians 3.14).
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is a reminder that faith itself is an

Books

WHERE THE GOD OF LOVE HANGS OUT
by Amy Bloom (Granta)
This collection of interlocking stories by author and
psychotherapist Amy Bloom explores the potential
for passion and tedium, love and loss, between
spouses, families and friends. Bloom does
not shy away from erotic and unorthodox
expressions of love, nor from the consequences
of betrayal and discontent. Her characters are
blighted by loveless attachments, physical
ailments and shameful regrets. When human
love disappoints, they are forced to escape into
daydreams 'so beautiful, so drenched in the lush,
streaming light of what is not'. This book finds
hope in gracious displays of affection bestowed
on the ageing, ill and insecure.
HP

The awe and excitement of their
voyage is only the beginning
adventure. In the final pages of Lewis’ novel, Aslan tells a distraught
Lucy and Edmund that they will not be returning to Narnia, but they
can get to know him by “another name” in their own world. The
implication is that the awe and excitement they have experienced
on their voyage is only the beginning.
So the magic that we first sensed when reading Lewis’ books in
childhood points towards something even more wonderful. As Aslan
says, “This was the very reason why you were brought to Narnia, that
by knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there.”
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader opens
in cinemas on 10 December. Further discussions of Christian
themes in pop culture can be found at: damaris.org
Note that the release of The Adjustment
Bureau, which was discussed in the last issue,
has been moved back to next spring.

BLOOD & SAND by Frank Gardner
(Bantam)
In June 2004, on the last day of a reporting
assignment, Islamist gunmen shot the BBC’s
security correspondent Frank Gardner and
cameraman Simon Cumbers. Cumbers died.
Gardner lived, but is partly paralysed. This
gripping book tells that story, but also casts
a very well-informed eye over the state of
the Middle East. The region captivated
Gardner during his student years, and his
depth of knowledge is remarkable. It is a
sobering read, because it shows what can be
done in the name of extremist religion and
the effect that a minority can have on the
world. Unputdownable.
HS

Sophie Lister writes for
Culturewatch.org

CDs

RECOVERY by Eminem (Polydor)
Reviewers have said that Marshall Mathers’ latest
album represents a return to the rapper’s best
form. Not for the faint-hearted, his lyrics are frequently violent
and explicit, but also piercingly honest. In Talkin’ 2 Myself, the
star confesses his identity crisis:
“Marshall is not an egomaniac ...
he’s not a desperado, he’s
desperate.” International hit single
Not Afraid is a candid tribute to
fans who have stood by the rapper
through dips in his career. This
empathy that is the album’s
greatest strength: “Just lettin’ you
know that you’re not alone ...
been down the same road.”
HP

idea nov/dec 2010 • 29

talking points
So is this what we can look forward to?
No. I got a phone call two weeks later saying they liked my version,
so I started writing. I got to about page 4 and I felt a bit mucky.
I just thought, “This is silly: the most beautiful story I've ever heard is
happening out there – a child who's been told she's going to have a
child, she's still a virgin and how's she going to cope with that? She's
going to have to explain it to the guy she's betrothed to marry. And
the angel of the Lord comes down elated and passes on this news.
And the world is about to change forever. All that's happening out
there, and I'm in the pub?” So I stopped and did some research.

BBC

Tatiana Maslany and Andrew
Buchan play Mary and Joseph
in the BBC's Nativity.

The most beautiful story

A

idea: How did you get involved in this series?
Tony Jordan: I was asked my opinion on it and
I was flippant. I said, “Well, I'd do something
completely different. They should stay in the
inn, do it like 'Allo 'Allo!, and have the landlord
and the waitress, and some shepherds in the
cupboard. And about three quarters of the way
through, you get a knock on the door and it's a
bloke and his bird's pregnant. ‘No! I've got 14
pies for table 14,’ and the door closes and we
carry on. And at the very end, they say, ‘Ooh,
I've forgotten those people who knocked on
the door. I left them in the barn.’ And then
they go outside and it's the nativity scene.”

How did you break through that?
So I was sitting there at 2am, a Bible that's all stained up, a hundred
post-it notes, and suddenly it came to me in this wonderful, nighttime stillness. I knew that I would just tell this beautiful story properly,
because by doing that I can answer those nagging doubts. So they're
not taken in by their family because Joseph has with him this woman
who's pregnant and it's not his. They disown him. And everything else
fits. The real truth of the story is not in small historical accuracies; the
beauty of the story is Gabriel kneeling in front of Mary, taking her
hands and saying, "The light of the world is within you."

RTS

t age 53, Tony Jordan is one of Britain’s top TV writers,
having written 250 episodes of EastEnders and co-created
Life on Mars, along with many other series. He has now
written a series about the Nativity that will be broadcast
on the BBC at Christmas. Michael Wakelin, former head of religion
and ethics at the BBC, spoke with him about the project...

Who'd you talk to?
I'd read the Bible before and I went back to it. Luke gave me about
400 words and Matthew about 312, but it wasn't going to fill two
hours even if they spoke really slowly. And also, very helpfully, they
didn't agree. I talked to a historian who said, "Well that certainly
never happened from a historical view." And I talked to as many
religious people as I could, but there were things that still didn't
make sense to me. For example, if Joseph had to go back to
Bethlehem, the place of his birth, for a census, he must have family
there. Just one cousin. But he went to the pub.

As I wrote this script,
I cried on every page

How has writing this affected you personally?
I've always had a faith, but there's always
something niggling. So I've written this script in
a way that works those things out. And I think
people who would normally ridicule a biblical
movie can watch this and maybe think that this
is perhaps how it really was. I want this film to
be accessible, so people invest in it and then sob
like a child. As I wrote this script, I cried on every
page. Before I wrote this I had a lot of niggling
doubts, but now I have no doubts.
Nativity airs on BBC One in December.

Exploring Big Society, asylum
seekers and gambling
Does the Bible oﬀer a vision
for a Big Society?
David Cameron’s idea of a Big Society is
presented as “a guiding philosophy where
the leading force for progress is social
responsibility”. It envisions charities,
social enterprises and companies
providing public services. Some may be
cynical because, in an age of austerity,
this seems a convenient social philosophy.
The Church, however, can significantly
affirm this desire for greater communal
responsibility and co-operation.
Also, as stewards who aim to reflect

Christ in this world, we can further craft
the vision, as the most transforming
philosophy of society can be found in the
scriptures. This vision is so radical that it
has the potential to shape our industrial
disputes, asylum debate, education, health
care and international relations. It
sketches both the broad brushstrokes
of life and the daily contours of family,
community and vocation.
The covenant between God and His
people demonstrates God’s concern with
the well-being of His creation. Right
relations both with Him and among

people are core to the Ten
Commandments, and we are
commissioned to defend the vulnerable
and practice generosity and hospitality
(Exodus 20.1-17, Deuteronomy 15.7-11).
The prophets inspire us to subvert the
dominant social reality. Later, Jesus takes
the law to another level when He gives a
new commandment to love one another
as He has loved us (John 13.34).
The scriptures guide us in how we
represent Christ in our daily life and they
also inspire us to permeate our institutions
so that they become places where people
thrive. A glance at history shows us, for
example, the rich heritage of the Quaker
business ethic. Their faith shaped the
working conditions in their factories
and provided housing, medical care and
pension funds for their employees.
In making God our first love, we learn
to love ourselves, our neighbours and
creation. Paul urges us, in view of God’s
mercy, to offer ourselves as a living
sacrifice (Romans 12.1). Our corporate
and individual act of worship takes place
everyday in the sanctuary that is this
world. It involves our jobs, relationships,
creativity, finances, homes and hearts.
Our commitment to Him and one another
is placed in the light of the shalom He
intends: a big society on a worldwide scale.

How can Church contribute
to the current asylum debate?

The most transforming, radical philosophy of
society can be found in the scriptures

After months of election sound bites
about asylum seekers, we almost forgot
that this isn't actually a debate about
policy but about people. And any debate
filled with political slogans and emotive
media coverage should have a distinctive
Christian contribution.
The asylum theme features
prominently in the Bible. Abraham’s
descendants are “strangers in a country
not their own”. The Torah displays a

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talking points
concern for the “alien” (Exodus 23.9). Born
in a refugee family, Jesus’ final instruction
concerns strangers (Matthew 25.35).
So our “citizenship in heaven” prominently
shapes our citizenship on earth.
In the pub, classroom or civic forum,
the asylum debate needs to be salted
with truth. Recently, children at an
Anglican school successfully helped a
friend threatened with deportation by
taking the case to the media and 10
Downing Street. Their education shaped
their citizenship and character, not merely
their league tables. A recent Guardian
article on hospitality offered by Christian
households to destitute asylum seekers
echoed the virtues of the early Church
(Romans 12.13).
We should be a community of
constructive subversion. While respectful
of the governmental procedures, Christians
must also be mindful of the structural
inadequacy that may cause desperate
predicaments. Our faith will lead us at
times into the arena of civil disobedience.
Our classrooms, homes and cities can be
places of refuge in a hostile world. For,
we have been gifted with a creative grace
to shape our society for the good.

Should Christians be opposed
to gambling?
The reasons the Alliance objected to
the nation’s first super casino in one of
Manchester’s most deprived areas was
based on research that shows that
gambling establishments tend to be
supported by regular local gamblers,
among whom there's a high rate of
problem gamblers. And poorer people
spend a much higher proportion of their
income on gambling.
In addition, the recent high-risk
strategy of bankers has been likened to
gambling. The global credit crunch
has caused devastation to people who
lost houses, jobs and hope. In such an
economic climate, gambling and lotteries
seem like ways out of debt and
hopelessness. However, as Peter Heslam
writes in his excellent booklet

TV/DVDs

Bible Translation Project Launch
16 Nov, London

In this economic climate,
gambling and lotteries
seem like ways out of
debt and hopelessness
Transforming Capitalism, “It is a
redemption based not on gift and grace
but on chance and fate.”
The bigger picture of fall and
redemption both raises our aspirations
and requires work. We are created with
gifts of grace for the common good.
Jesus' parable of the talents commends
responsible risk-taking stewardship that
serves God's purpose. That way, we share
in our master's happiness (Matthew
25.14-30).
By contrast, the scriptures warn us
that chasing fantasies and eagerness for
riches leads to poverty and punishment
(Proverbs 28.19-20). In the gambling
industry, the house always wins. God’s
Word warns us of its destructive potential.
It also envisions us to develop an
individual and corporate virtue that
honours Him.
If you have a question about
practical theology, send it to:
idea@eauk.org

THE DEEP (BBC)
BBC1’s five-part television series plunges
viewers into the perilous world of the
Orpheus, an expedition of oceanographers in
search of a renewable energy source in the
Arctic. Their secondary assignment is to
recover a vessel that mysteriously failed
before them. The crew soon discovers that
they must contend with more than the deep,
encountering opposition and an ominous
disease. They also unearth the selfish desires
they have harboured all along. The cast
(including James Nesbitt, Minnie Driver and
Goran Visnjic) masterfully drive this tense
drama and provide heart-rending examples
of grief, betrayal and self-sacrifice.
SL

32 • idea nov/dec 2010

As part of Biblefresh, Christians in the UK have the
opportunity to support to Bible translation projects
currently taking place in Burkina Faso. To launch
this project, Daniel Bourdanne, general secretary of
International Fellowship of Evangelical Students,
will speak on The Bible for the Whole World.
biblefresh.com

Aiming 4 Excellence
29 Nov-1 Dec, Swanwick
This is an event for trustees, chief executives, finance
directors, HR directors and younger leaders of Christian
charities. The programme will help explore the
meaning of excellence and examine how God can
remain at the centre of what we do in Christian
organisations. aiming4excellence.org.uk

Social Media for Social Change
30 Nov, London
Social media is changing how we relate to each
another on a daily basis. Nearly half a billion people
communicate via Facebook, and Twitter is reshaping
the way news spreads around the world. The Alliance
is hosting a one-day conference at All Soul’s Langham
Place to examine how Christians can harness the
power of social media to bring social transformation.
eauk.org/slipstream/events

Don’t Mention the War
19 Jan, London
Designed for pastors, students and anyone who
struggles to know how to preach or pray about war,
this symposium will examine Christian traditions of
pacifism and “just war” theory, asking what faithful
Christian ministry to local communities in a nation at
war can look like today. eauk.org/events

Support for Surviving Life
27-30 Jan, Derbyshire
For its ninth annual conference, the Association of
Christian Counsellors has put together a range of
practical talks, workshops and training events led by
key professionals and academics. The keynote speaker
will be experienced psychologist Dr Diane Langberg.
acc-uk.org

Leadership Conference
10-11 Feb, London

Marijke Hoek is the
Alliance's Forum for
Change co-ordinator
THIS IS ENGLAND 86 (C4)
Shane Meadows’ hard-hitting film This Is
England was acclaimed for its portrayal of a
gang of skinheads adopting 12-year-old
Shaun (gifted young actor Thomas Turgoose)
into their midst in 1983. Channel 4's new
four-part series reunites the original cast
to pick up the story three years on. It is
gritty, uncompromising and full of strong
language. But Meadows’ characters feel very
real, and their struggles to negotiate life
reveal his perceptive insights into human
nature. They are trying to find meaning in
a life that seems almost meaningless, yet
which is occasionally lightened by glimmers
of hope.
TW

This event at Holy Trinity Brompton will feature a
mix of Christian and business speakers. In addition
to worship and ministry, teaching seminars will focus
on three key themes: leadership, vision to action and
church planting. htb.org.uk/leadershipconference

SHERLOCK (BBC)
Following close on the heels of Guy Ritchie’s film, this BBC series
raised eyebrows when it was first advertised, but fears were soon
allayed. Fast-paced, funny and thrilling, Sherlock plugged the
Doctor Who-shaped gap in Saturday
night television for three adventurepacked weeks. Starring a perfectly
cast Benedict Cumberbatch as the
acerbic detective, and Martin Freeman
as his sidekick, these three featurelength adventures saw Sherlock pit
his unique mind against the criminal
underworld while helping us to reflect
on the value of reason in a chaotic
world and the fragility of the people
we choose to idolise.
SL

last word
A Big Story for a Big Society
The Church is already at the heart of local communities,
and General Director Steve Clifford sees even more opportunities before us...

Grass-roots transformation

Faith changes things
As local and national governments try to
protect human rights, political leaders need
to remember that churches and Christian
charities cannot compromise their integrity.
The actions of Christians are an expression
of a faith that can't be put aside. This is
because our faith isn't just the reason why
we serve, it's the very thing that can change
our communities for the better.
Eric Pickles, the Secretary of State for
Communities and Local Government, seems
to understand this. “Some see religion as a
problem that needs to be solved,” he said.
“The new Government sees it as part of the
solution.”
But the inverse is true as well:
sometimes Christians see government as a
problem that needs to be solved. As a result,
churches shy away from getting involved in
Big Society work, possibly out of fear that
they will be seen as agents of the state
rather than God.
This is most likely due to the fact that,
despite the big speeches and big projects, there's often been very
little tangible evidence that the Government is actually making a
difference in communities. So it's clear to me that this is the perfect
opportunity for churches to show society that we are about bringing
real social and spiritual transformation.
Most commentators agree that the next few years are not going
to be easy, so those around us will be hurting and in need of our
help. While community groups can't take the place of government,
Christians can offer hope and practical compassion. And the Church
has a presence right in the middle of almost every neighbourhood in
this country.
So this is a time for us as Christian communities right across the
country to step up and be counted. We have a wonderful story to
tell – a Gospel of Good News with a passionate motivation to see
our neighbourhoods, villages, towns and cities changed for good.

Inevitably our great
institutions cannot solve
all of our problems

Over the past several months, David
Cameron’s coalition Government has called
for the development of a Big Society. This concept has been
scrutinised by the press, praised for its potential impact on
communities and rejected as a crude way of topping up slashed
local budgets. What no one seems to realise is that the Big Society
doesn't exist because David Cameron says so. It's about people
working together to transform their communities.
I have to say that, while I applaud what Cameron said, for many
of us this is hardly news. The Church is already doing exactly this.
Over the past two years, public trust in our established
institutions has been deeply shaken. The banking crisis revealed
great holes in our financial system. A mighty multi-national like
BP struggled to clean up the devastation caused by oil spilling into
the Gulf of Mexico.
Some of our politicians have let us down by exploiting their
expense accounts. Even institutional religion has been exposed with

34 • idea nov/dec 2010

seemingly endless revelations of child abuse. Inevitably our great
institutions cannot solve all of our problems.
With all this happening around us, it seems that a vital
conversation is beginning to emerge. And it's not taking place in the
halls of Westminster, but at the school gates, in the work canteen,
down at the coffee shop and in the pub.
The topic is this: what kind of society do we want? Not just
for us but for our children’s children, 50 years from now. This is a
wonderful conversation for the Christian community to engage in.
And the Church’s contribution to building a better society is only
part of the Big Story of a God who loves people and continues to
rescue the world He created.

Ann Clifford

I

love the idea that if someone asks where the Church across
the UK is to be found late on a Friday night or early Saturday
morning, the answer can be unexpected. While some of us
are fast asleep in our warm beds, there are many who are
patrolling the streets up and down the country. They are helping
people to get home safely, intervening before a fight breaks out,
praying, chatting, handing out bottles of water and flip-flops (if
you’ve lost your shoes), all in the name of Jesus as Street Pastors
or Street Angels.
This is just one example of the Church at work. I could talk
about those working among prisoners, ex-cons, drug users and
sex workers. Others are running a playgroup,
youth or over-50s clubs. And let’s not forget
the credit unions, debt counselling, and
parenting and marriage courses. This is the
Church being the Good News and sharing
the Good News.
In many communities across the UK,
the Church is the primary agent of social
cohesion; take us away and there would be
huge gaps. Three years ago, Gweini (an
Alliance coalition with a number of agencies
including Care, Tearfund, Housing Justice UK,
Prospects and Cornerstone Church in
Swansea), received some funding from the
Welsh Assembly Government to conduct
a survey on the faith community’s
contribution to the Welsh economy. In a
nation with a population of just under
3 million, it was estimated that faith
communities contributed more than £100
million worth of voluntary work annually.
And 97 per cent of this was from the Church.

RICH INHERITANCE Jesus’ legacy of love
Session 1 – An empty tomb
Session 2 – A group of people
Session 3 – A story
Session 4 – A power
Session 5 – A meal
Jesus didn’t write a will. He
left no written instructions.
He didn’t seem to have a plan.
At the end, as he hung dying
on the cross, almost all of his
followers had abandoned him.
By most worldly estimates his
ministry was a failure.
Nevertheless, Jesus’ message
of reconciliation with God
lived on. It is the central
message of the Bible. With
this good news his disciples
changed the world. How did
they do it? What else did Jesus
leave behind – what is his
‘legacy of love’? This course
addresses these questions.

An ecumenical discussion course for group or
individual study, comprising booklet, CD or
audiotape and transcript.
Includes a choice of wide-ranging questions
to help group leaders involve all members in
lively discussion.

Discuss Jesus’
legacy in this
‘Year of the Bible’
THE CD & AUDIOTAPE
contain five 14-minute
radio-style starters for
group discussion, with
questions for the participants – Archbishop Vincent
Nichols, Paula Gooder and
Jim Wallis. Former
Archbishop of York, Dr David
Hope, introduces the course.

THE COURSE TRANSCRIPT
provides a complete record of
the ‘conversation’ on the
CD/audiotape in an easy-tofollow format.

why five out of tens of thousands of group members
chose a York Course:
Why do a York Course? Here’s
many thanks for producing such stimulating courses.
speakers were wonderful with their different views, sharing
The
Many,
They make the task of Group Leader the easiest that I have
their personal experiences with us. It made the group open up
found in more than fifty years of leading adult groups.
to very interesting discussions – we loved the way we
had
the CD to listen to, and the booklet, which contained
really pleased with the course … as everyone got a lot out
We're
many powerful readings… We hope many ideas put forward by
of the session. We couldn't get them to go home!
the course will be able to be taken forward.
group found the course stimulating and provocative …
Our
It’s
brought us together as a church with other folk coming in
as well.
plenty for discussion in the questions posed at the end of each
It’s been brilliant.
session … Excellent material for further use.

FREE RESOURCES to download now
Teaching Series to equip church leaders from Together On A Mission 2010
THE CENTRALITY OF WORSHIP
Speakers: David Holden,
Greg Shepherd and Stef Liston
1. The centrality of worship in the life
of a leader
2. The centrality of worship as we
gather as a local church
3. The centrality of worship in mission

FIGHTING FOR CHARISMATIC
LIFE IN THE CHURCH
Speakers: Guy Miller, Stef Liston,
Phil Wilthew, Arun Philip and
Simon Walker
1. The new battle for the charismatic
2. The urgency for the prophetic
3. The diversity of the Spirit’s
manifestation

ARMED AND DANGEROUS!
Speakers: Wendy Virgo, Beverley
Landreth-Smith and Liz Holden
1. The battle for identity:
From victim to victor
2. The battle of materialism
3. The battle and worship

TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH:
EVANGELICAL MISSION IN THE
MODERN AGE
Speakers: Lex Loizides, Ray Lowe
and Andy Johnston
1. General Booth and the Salvation
Army
2. William Carey: From cobbler to
the father of modern missions
3. Eric Liddell: Muscular
Christianity and missionary
service

Also available

Terry Virgo’s
series ‘Ready
for Battle’:
1. Be strong in the Lord
and in the strength of
His might
2. Take up the full
armour of God
3. Praying at all times in
the Spirit

EQUIPPING LEADERS AND
CHURCHES FOR HEALING THE
SPIRIT, THE MIND AND THE
EMOTIONS
Speakers: David Devenish and
Simon Holley
1. The gospel that brings freedom
2. Freedom through the power of
the Holy Spirit
3. Building churches that bring
freedom